missing

The Lafayette Police have confirmed that the body discovered in Evangeline Parish on Tuesday is that of missing UL-Lafayette student Mickey Shunick, who has been missing since May.

KPEL Newsradio is reporting that Brandon Scott Lavergne, the suspect in the murder of Michaela "Mickey" Shunick, was checked out of jail yesterday at roughly the same time police were discovering the body they believe is hers.

After a tense afternoon of back-and-forth in the media, Lafayette's Police Chief Jim Craft confirmed to multiple media outlets that officials believe they have found the body of missing UL-Lafayette student Mickey Shunick, who has been missing since May.

Lafayette TV stations KATC-TV and KLFY-TV are both reporting that Brandon Scott Lavergne has pleaded 'not guilty' to the murders of Mickey Shunick and Lisa Pate.

As we reported last week, Brandon Lavergne was indicted by a grand jury in Lafayette for the first degree murder of the still-missing Mickey Shunick. But in a shocking twist in the case, Lavergne was also charged with the first degree murder of Lisa Pate, an Acadia Parish woman who was found dead in 1999. Now the Lafayette Parish District attorney is saying that both cases may be tried together.

A Lafayette Parish grand jury indicted Brandon Scott Lavergne for the first degree murder of the still-missing Mickey Shunick.  But in a bombshell, grand jurors also found enough evidence to also charge him with the first degree murder of an Acadia Parish woman who was found dead in 1999.

It's not much, but all of us who are still hoping that Mickey Shunick will still be found can help in some small way tonight. Mickey's family is asking for a mass moment of silence at 10 p.m. tonight, and they're also asking you to show your support by turning on your porch lights or lighting a candle.  If nothing else, it at least brings some positive energy to a sad story.

FINAL UPDATE, 10:25 a.m.: After a busy morning of digging in the Swords region near Lawtell, St. Landry Parish officials have ruled out three mysterious dirt mounds as possible gravesites for missing UL-Lafayette student Mickey Shunick.

  Tom Shunick, the father of the missing Lafayette woman Mickey Shunick, was on Nancy Grace last night  talking with Nancy about what he has been informed of by police in the arrest of Brandon Lavergne and the whereabouts of his missing daughter. In the video, Tom Shunick discusses how police linked Lavergne to Mickey, the white truck that was found in Texas, and how he found out about the arrest

The mother of Brandon Scott Lavergne, the man charged with Aggravated Kidnapping and murder of UL-Lafayette student Mickey Shunick has released a statement regarding her son's arrest.

While they stopped short of saying so, Lafayette Police made it clear that it is believed that Mickey Shunick is dead, and the man suspected of killing her -- Brandon Scott Lavergne -- was "looking for someone to victimize" when he picked her up. When asked directly if there were any clues as to Shunick's final resting place, Lafayette's police chief replied: "No."

Officials in Bay St. Louis, Miss., found a missing torso, but were able to definitively say that it is NOT that of missing UL-Lafayette student Mickey Shunick.